ALBANY, OR, Feb. 9, 2010 -- Since the earthquakes in Haiti, the difficulty of getting clean water has been widely reported. HTI (out of Albany, Oregon) has been working to get its HydroWell Village water filtration systems into Port-au-Prince where they can do some good.

The systems use forward osmosis technology (similar to the method tree roots absorb water) and require little or no energy.

The process was long and difficult but the systems are now being distributed and set up in two locations, setting up two more locations today -- they are passing out water as fast as they can clean it.

To date, they have handed out 2,000 liters of hydropacks (a packet you can drop into any water source no matter how polluted, put a straw in and drink), seven HydroWell Villages with enough supplies to produce 161,700 liters of drink* and have given 368 X-packs to aid workers which have the capability to produce 13,248 liters of clean drink.

What: Water systems set up and running at the IMC Clinic next to the Catholic Mission (up the road from the petrol station)
When: Today and tomorrow between 11am - 6pm, or by appointment
Where: IMC Clinic next to the Catholic Mission (up the road from the petrol station), team members are also available via phone

*HTI uses an electrolyte/sugar solution to draw the polluted water through the membrane -- clean water that is produced has a sports drink quality which does more than water to fight off dysentery and diarrhea.

###